Why is Sesame Street slowly dying?

[Censored]

Months later and GeeBee is still singing the same old song and dance. Gee, what a surprise.



Yes, GeeBee. You've only told us this how many thousand times in the past? I've said it before and I'll say it again -- this is YOUR opinion. The fact that you believe it so strongly doesn't make it true, much as you might like it to.



Again, this is strictly your opinion, not fact. I'll bet the people who see the sheer amount of work, research and testing that SW invests into making each and every episode educational and entertaining at the same time, would beg to differ. So would the parents of young kids who the show is aimed at.

I like classic SS just as much as you, but I've accepted reality and don't devote so much energy into hating current SS that you seem to. I feel my energy is better channeled into other things.

You have a right to be wrong.

 

[Censored]

Again, this is strictly your opinion, not fact. I'll bet the people who see the sheer amount of work, research and testing that SW invests into making each and every episode educational and entertaining at the same time, would beg to differ. So would the parents of young kids who the show is aimed at.

I like classic SS just as much as you, but I've accepted reality and don't devote so much energy into hating current SS that you seem to. I feel my energy is better channeled into other things.

Not just opinion. As a professional social worker with a Masters Degree who has worked with children and families for three years, I can tell you that seeing old episodes of Matt Robinson on Sesame Street would be the least of a child's problems. I'm glad your energy is channeled into better things, but what are they?

 

[Censored]

Henson no longer owns Kermit, Disney does. It's unlikely we'll ever see Kermit on SS again, unfortunately.

Don't cry, Wolfie. You've got to face reality.

 

[tmb1975]

I've been wanting to watch an episode for so long but never seem to catch it on TV. My PBS used to play Sesame in various time slots all day long and quite a few in a row on weekends, but now it's reduced to one time during the day. I wonder if other PBS stations are doing this out of cost measures or because the ratings aren't great? Maybe that has something to do with SS's quality downgraded quality - is it possible they're just not getting the money they used to get from PBS? That might account for why the human characters aren't getting as much airtime.

Does anyone think a DVD collection of SS classic episodes will ever be released? I know it's not like the Muppets because SS is geared towards kids, but it would still be wonderful to see some of the classic moments we loved again. I want to see Don Music, Roosevelt Franklin, Harvey Kneeslapper and all of those other great characters that were banished into the Henson vault so long ago.

 

[erniebert1234ss]

darn straight! BRING BACK THE SESAME WE REMEMBER! Elmo is annoying as sin, but he might as well stay on. Put an enhanced role in Grover's lap and he will pay SW dividends (ie a new segment devoted to Super Grover with a sense of humor that kids today can love!).

BJ

 

[mikebennidict]

I've been wanting to watch an episode for so long but never seem to catch it on TV. My PBS used to play Sesame in various time slots all day long and quite a few in a row on weekends, but now it's reduced to one time during the day. I wonder if other PBS stations are doing this out of cost measures or because the ratings aren't great? Maybe that has something to do with SS's quality downgraded quality - is it possible they're just not getting the money they used to get from PBS? That might account for why the human characters aren't getting as much airtime.

Does anyone think a DVD collection of SS classic episodes will ever be released? I know it's not like the Muppets because SS is geared towards kids, but it would still be wonderful to see some of the classic moments we loved again. I want to see Don Music, Roosevelt Franklin, Harvey Kneeslapper and all of those other great characters that were banished into the Henson vault so long ago.

it's probably all of the above. it's the same here in the Chicago area as well. there's also more shows squeezed into there schedule. don't know why.

 

[Censored]

Sesame Street is not as good because RESEARCH has shown that they needed to re-think their ways of reaching out to TODAY's children.

The attention spans and minds of kids in the year 2005 is different from those in 1969.

SESAME had to adapt with the times.


If I had to guess, you're upset that SESAME doesn't resemble the SESAME that you remember as a child. But then again, my daughter loves SESAME as much as I did, even though SESAME is not like what it was in the old days.

I still agree with Mr. Roger's philosophy. Kids are still kids. He wasn't afraid to keep his old format and it worked.

As for research into human nature, after taking two Research courses at college, I can tell you right now that such tests can be very subjective and contradictory. There is almost always room for further research to address possible flaws in previous studies. There are numerous threats to internal and external validity in research studies and it is hardly something to be taken as the gospel. The very nature of science means that it's open to further debate.

Perhaps the most telling thing was on a documentary about Sesame Street. Someone from Sesame Workshop admitted that although they test the reaction of children in sampling program content, it is the adults who ultimately interpret what the children are really thinking and feeling.

It's never quite as simple as the "experts" in the Ivory Towers would have us believe.

 

[salemfan]

Maybe Sesame Street is just under some spell of the Amazing Mumford. Let's break that spell and restore Sesame Street to the way we remember it.
A la peanut butter sandwiches!

 

[bigbirdfan]

NOOOOOOOOO

 

[ssetta]

I've been wanting to watch an episode for so long but never seem to catch it on TV. My PBS used to play Sesame in various time slots all day long and quite a few in a row on weekends, but now it's reduced to one time during the day. I wonder if other PBS stations are doing this out of cost measures or because the ratings aren't great? Maybe that has something to do with SS's quality downgraded quality - is it possible they're just not getting the money they used to get from PBS? That might account for why the human characters aren't getting as much airtime.

Does anyone think a DVD collection of SS classic episodes will ever be released? I know it's not like the Muppets because SS is geared towards kids, but it would still be wonderful to see some of the classic moments we loved again. I want to see Don Music, Roosevelt Franklin, Harvey Kneeslapper and all of those other great characters that were banished into the Henson vault so long ago.

I have noticed that, too. And I think it's mostly because there's so much competition with other shows now. Now, in my area, the Boston area, it still is on a few times, but that's only because it's on different PBS stations. A lot of markets have more than 1 PBS, including New York City and Chicago. But YEARS ago, WGBH 2 had it on 3 times, WENH had it on 2 times, WSBE 36 had it 2 times, and WGBX 44 had it 1 time. Doesn't NYC have more than 1 PBS?